Best Safari Locations in Botswana

Botswana

contains a handful of quality safari areas,

dominated by the fabulous Okavango Delta

the northern wetlands are rich in wildlife

“>Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, with vast arid flatlands, with low scenic variety and sparse wildlife.

By contrast, the north of the country receives floodwaters from the mountains of Angola, which create the fabulous wetlands of the Okavango.

Almost all safaris to Botswana include one, two or even three different camps in the Okavango Delta, often supported by a camp in the similarly rich Linyanti Waterfront.

Longer safaris may also include a camp or two in the more central desert areas of Makgadikgadi, Central Kalahari and Nxai Pan,

Far off to the southeast, the Tuli Block is an interesting safari area, which is rarely combined with the north of the country, but is more often visited in combination with safari areas in the northeast of South Africa, including Kruger and the Waterberg.

we will help you to find

the perfect combination of locations

Okavango Delta

the best safari area in Botswana

Set in the heart of the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana, Okavango Delta is a stunningly beautiful and vibrant wetland, with intensely rich and varied wildlife, offering a very wide range of wet and dry safari activities. Guest accommodation is in around 50 very high quality and famously pricey lodges.

The Okavango Delta is a truly amazing place, a stunningly beautiful and vibrant wetland in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

The real miracle of the Okavango Delta is that its floodwaters arrive here from Angola at the start of the dry season.

As the forests and grasslands of the surrounding Kalahari start to dry out, vast numbers of animals migrate into the delta.

During the May-Nov dry season the wildlife viewing in many areas is simply epic.

Even during the Dec-Apr green season the quality of safari remains much higher than most areas ever reach.

The Okavango Delta is divided into nineteen enormous sub-areas, most of which are private concessions containing just 2, 3 or 4 camps.

These areas offer hugely different experiences, all of which vary with the seasons.

A good trip will carefully blend two, three or more areas to provide a balanced and varied safari.

Some camps focus mainly on ‘wet’ experiences, so motorboat safari and mokoro canoe safari, which tend to be subtle and relaxing.

Other camps are much more focused on ‘dry’ vehicle safari, which provides more intense wildlife actions.

A few camps are even more hard hitting, with a pronounced focus on predators and their hunting exploits.

There are also camps which concentrate on specialist activities such as walking safari, balloon safari and horse-back safari.

In terms of style, properties range from relatively simple and earthy bush camps …

… to lavish, elegant and very pricey super-luxury lodges.

Access is by light aircraft, hopping around from camp to camp, out of the hub airports at Maun and Kasane.

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Linyanti Waterfront

our favourite spot for serious safari

Set in the north of Botswana, the Linyanti Waterfront is one of the finest safari areas in Africa, renowned for huge herds of elephants, intense predator action and wild-dog denning. Guest accommodation is in a diverse range of around a dozen high quality camps and lodges.

The Linyanti Waterfront is one of the best locations in Africa for wildlife viewing, a truly superb safari area.

During the May-Nov dry season wildlife from far and wide converges onto the this verdant waterfront.

The spectacle is similar to that on the better known Chobe waterfront to the north, but blissfully without the visitor traffic.

The Linyanti is sub-divided into four separate concession areas, each one exclusively operated by a single safari company …

Linyanti Kwando is renowned for serious guiding, predator action and earthy camps.

Linyanti Selinda is best known for rich wildlife and extremely high quality camps.

Linyanti East is has some very scenic waterfront and a good range of high quality camps.

Linyanti Chobe Enclave is has similar scenery but a more earthy choice of camps.

The accommodation on these four concessions ranges from earthy and authentic camps to extremely luxurious lodges.

Linyanti Waterfront is almost always accessed by light aircraft from Maun, Kasane and other camp airstrips.

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Makgadikgadi

a range of fabulously unusual safari experiences

Set in the north of Botswana, Makgadikgadi is a vast and hypnotic open grassland, centred on a network of epic salt pans and dotted with isolated islands of palm and baobab trees. Guest accommodation is in a really interesting range of a dozen camps, offering a wide range of unusual safari activities, including habituated meerkats, Bushmen interaction, palaeontology and quad-biking.

The Makgadikgadi area is dominated Kahalari scrub forest and broad open plains dotted with islands of palm trees.

To the west lies the Boteti River, which arrives from the Okavango around July in years of high flood.

To the east lies a network of vast salt pans, an ancient incarnation of the Okavango Delta.

During the May-Nov dry season the wildlife is generally quite sparse in these parched desert areas.

Desert specialists include oryx, springboks, kudus, brown hyenas, aardwolves and aardvarks.

However large herds of wildebeest and zebras congregate around the few permanent water sources, along with their attendant predators.

Vehicle safari is the best way to view this wildlife, often punctuated with scenic picnics and sundowner drinks.

The camps to the east are almost unique for offering rooftop seats, which enormously boosts the safari experience, especially for kids.

These eastern camps are also the best location in Africa for meeting meerkats …

… and for fabulous quad-biking trips out onto the endless salt pans …

… sleeping out under a remarkable canopy of stars.

Walks with the local Bushman people are another real treat.

During the Dec-Apr green season, light summer showers bring the desert to life …

… and the area experiences a massive inward migration, with vast herds of wildebeest, zebras and elephants.

The area contains several camp options, the best of which are in the private safari areas to the east side.

Access is either by road or light aircraft from Maun or Francistown.

Go to Makgadikgadi

Central Kalahari

famously the setting for “Cry of the Kalahari”

Set in the heart of Botswana, Central Kalahari is a vast and arid national park, a great contrast to the water-world of the Okavango Delta, renowned for unusual sightings like aardwolves, brown hyenas and huge black-mane lions. Guest accommodation is in just a handful of lodges, offering a range of subtle dry safari activities.

At 53,200 square kilometres, Central Kalahari is four times the size of the Serengeti and represents 12.5% of the country’s total land area.

It is a vast, arid and relentlessly flat landscape which, at first sight, appears to be of little interest, but which is actually a very subtle and fascinating place.

During the long May-Nov dry season the desert specialists are remarkably able to survive and prosper.

During the converse Dec-Apr green season summer showers can transform the area into a Garden of Eden, filled with flowers and baby animals.

Sightings include springboks, oryx, kudus, giraffes, meerkats, pangolins and aardvarks.

Top of the bill are cheetahs, brown hyenas and the famous Kalahari black-mane lions.

The main activity is day-time vehicle safari, often with relaxed picnic lunches.

It is also possible to go on fascinating walks with the local Bushman people.

There are just two lodges inside the whole reserve, plus a further handful in private areas around the periphery.

Access is usually by light aircraft either from Maun Airport or directly from camps in the Okavango Delta.

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Nxai Pan

interesting but transient migration events

Set in the north of Botswana, Nxai Pan is an entrancing but little-visited national park, with guest accommodation in just one high quality camp and offering a modest range of desert safari activities.

The Nxai Pan area is dominated by broad open plains and Kalahari scrub woodland.

It is centred on a network of salt pans which can fill with rainwater during the Dec-Apr green season.

The area also contains the impressive and historic Baines Baobabs, named by the renowned Victorian explorer.

During the May-Nov dry season the wildlife is generally quite sparse in these parched desert areas.

Desert specialists include oryx, springboks, kudus, brown hyenas, aardwolves and aardvarks.

During the Dec-Apr green season, light summer showers bring the desert to life.

At this time the area experiences a substantial inward migration, with vast herds of wildebeest, zebras and elephants.

Vehicle safari is the main activity, often punctuated with scenic picnics and sundowner drinks.

It is also possible to go on walks with the local Bushman people, which can be a real treat.

The area contains just one permanent lodge, set in a quiet position on the western side.

Access is either by road or light aircraft from Maun.

Go to Nxai Pan

Tuli Block

different terrain from the north of Botswana

Set in the southeast of Botswana, Tuli Block is a very large private reserve which offers arguably the best non-malarial safari area in Africa, with a good range of landscapes and rich wildlife. Guest accommodation is in a handful of lodges, offering an unusually wide range of activities, including walking safari, mountain hiking and hides. Mostly combined with areas in South Africa rather than with the Okavango Delta.

The Tuli Block is characterised by open plains, with prominent hills and wooded watercourses.

The wildlife is reasonably rich, with a good range of species.

In particular, there are usually plenty of elephants around.

Predators are also reliably sighted, notably lions, spotted hyenas and leopards.

Vehicle safari is the main activity, often punctuated with scenic picnics and sundowner drinks.

Walking safari is offered and may include deliberate approaches onto potentially dangerous animals.

Longer scenic mountain hikes are also possible.

Tuli is also of the few places which regularly offers mountain bike safari.

The area contains three main lodges, all of which are able to access the key locations.

Access is usually by self-drive or light aircraft from South Africa.

Go to Tuli Block

Chobe

overrun by distressing safari traffic

Set in the north of Botswana, Chobe is the heart of a vast conservation area, a very important national park, but one whose key areas often get very busy these days, making it something of a challenge to deliver high quality safari experiences.